Despite the considerable naysaying at their inception, the Saints became one of the most successful teams in the Northern League and all of independent baseball. In 2002-2004, the Saints saw severely reduced attendance, owing partially to renewed interest in the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, who won the 2002, 2003, and 2004 American League Central Division championships. In spite of an initially cool, if not outright hostile reception, the Saints and their Major League neighbor (less than 10 miles away) have worked together for several years to promote the sport of baseball.

The Saints have figured prominently in the creation of modern independent baseball. The team has been featured in books ("Rebel Baseball" by Steve Perlstein, 1993; "Slouching Toward Fargo" by Neal Karlen, 1998) and a cable network series ("Baseball, Minnesota", FX Network, 1996–97). Mike Veeck wrote a book that covered the mantra "Fun is Good" (2005) and describes the business approach he has used for many years.

In a tradition started in the team's first year, the Saints pig brings out game balls and receives a snack between innings.

In June 2009 the Saints began a push to build a new stadium in Downtown Saint Paul. The proposed 7,500 seat stadium would be located in the Lowertown neighborhood near a planned maintenance facility for the METRO Green Line light rail. The city of Saint Paul requested $25 million in its 2010 bonding wish list to the Minnesota Legislature.[2][3][4][5]

As described in Lee Allen's book, The American League Story (Putnam, 1962), the team began as the Sioux City franchise in a minor league called the Western League. The WL had reorganized itself in November, 1893, with Ban Johnson as President. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey, former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the 1880s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1894 season, when Comiskey's contract with the Reds was up, he decided to take his chances at ownership. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to St. Paul, where it enjoyed some success over the next 5 seasons.

In 1900, the Western League changed its name to the American League. It was still officially a minor league, a part of the National Agreement and an underling of the National League. The NL actually gave permission to the AL to put a team in Chicago, and on March 21, 1900, Comiskey moved his St. Paul club to the South Side, where they became the Chicago White Sox.

Joe Riggert accumulated 1,639 hits over 12 seasons with the old Saints.

In an attempt to gain publicity in a metropolitan area that hosts four major pro sports teams and a major college program, the Saints have grabbed headlines numerous times for their unique promotions.[6]

On July 11, 2014, The Saint Paul Saints team with the Minnesota Atheists and Freedom From Religion Foundation to rename the team the "Mister Paul Aints". The "S" in Saints signs were covered throughout Midway Stadium and the players wore specially designed jerseys which were auctioned off at the end of the game. This is the third season in a row that the Saints have run this promotion.[7]

A May 11, 2013 exhibition game between the Saints and Gary SouthShore Railcats was played without umpires. The team instead had a judge, in a judicial robe, call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher. Calls at first and third bases were made by a "jury" of 12 Little Leaguers, with the judge able to overrule any calls.[8]

On July 23, 2011, the Saints celebrated National Hot Dog Day and parodied Anthony Weiner and his first sexting scandal. The first 1,501 fans age 18 or older received "Tweeting Wiener Boxer Shorts", depicting a blue bird taking a picture of a hot dog, or "wiener". The bird was deliberately drawn to resemble the logo of Twitter, the social media site that Weiner used to send links to indecent photos.[9]

Fans were asked during the game to spin the heads of their dolls to either Coleman or Franken. Attorneys were present to count the "votes" from this process, a jab at the extensive involvement of attorneys in the recount process. The team's official web site stated that fans could challenge the "results" at the team's Fan Services booth during the game.

The team also facetiously stated on its site that it would not make the results of that night's game official until mid-June—around the time that the entireMinnesota Supreme Court was scheduled to rule on Coleman's appeal of a panel ruling that Franken had won. (The Court issued its ruling in Franken's favor on June 30, with Coleman then conceding.)

In May, 2008, the Saints announced the giveaway of 2,500 bobble foot dolls, ostensibly to celebrate National Tap Dance Day. The dolls, which feature two feet visible beneath the door of a bathroom stall, have been covered in the national news for their reference to Senator Larry Craig, notorious for soliciting sex in a Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport restroom in August 2007.[11]

In April 2006, the Saints announced that rubber boats would be given out during a May 27, 2006 game, ostensibly to honor the 30th anniversary of the television show The Love Boat. However, details of the promotion indicate that it was intended as a jab at the 2005 boat scandal involving the Minnesota Vikings, where several members of the team were allegedly involved in illicit behavior on a private cruise. The promotional rubber boats used the same color as the Vikings uniforms (purple and yellow) and were named Minnetonka Queen (a reference to Lake Minnetonka, where the cruise took place).[6]

In August 2004, the Saints held a Bobblehead Election to tap into the campaign buzz around the election year. Fans were told to select either a John Kerry or George Bush bobblehead as their "vote." The stunt was capped off with a speech by the winning bobblehead. A real donkey and a donkey dressed like an elephant (the Saints were unable to obtain a real elephant) added to the atmosphere.[13]

In August 2003, the Saints held "Randy Moss Hood Ornament Night", poking fun at Randy Moss, then a wide receiver for the Vikings. Earlier that year, Moss was involved in an incident where he bumped a traffic control officer with his car while he attempted to make a turn.[6]